What Experimental Evidence Demonstrates Energy Quantization in Atoms?

[greg153]

Homework Statement

What experimental evidence requires that the emission of energy by an atom be quantized?

The Attempt at a Solution

I can completely confused on what the question is asking.
What do they mean by "experimental evidence"? Do I talk about Bohr and how he proposed that to get spectral lines, the energy of the election in the atom must be quantized. Would that be "experimental evidence" that the question refers to? or do I just state that emission and absorption lines in atomic spectra are evidence of quantization?

Any help would be appreciated since I am really stumped on this question.

Thanks.

 

[Borek]

do I just state that emission and absorption lines in atomic spectra are evidence of quantization?

Yes. This is an experimental result, that shows that only some amounts of energy can be emited or absorbed, not any amount.

 

[Blueshift5]

I understand your confusion and I will try to provide a clear response to this question. Experimental evidence is any data or observations that support a hypothesis or theory. In this case, the question is asking for evidence that supports the idea that the emission of energy by an atom is quantized.

One piece of experimental evidence is the observation of discrete emission and absorption lines in atomic spectra. This was first observed by scientists such as Johann Balmer and Johannes Rydberg in the late 19th century. These lines represent specific energy levels that an electron can occupy in an atom, and they can only emit or absorb energy in these discrete amounts. This is known as the quantization of energy.

Another piece of evidence is the photoelectric effect, which was discovered by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century. This phenomenon showed that when light of a certain frequency is shone on a metal surface, electrons are emitted with a specific energy. This energy was found to be directly proportional to the frequency of the light, supporting the idea of quantized energy levels in atoms.

Furthermore, the Bohr model of the atom, proposed by Niels Bohr in 1913, also provided evidence for quantization. This model explained the spectral lines observed in atomic spectra by proposing that electrons can only exist in certain energy levels and can only transition between these levels by emitting or absorbing specific amounts of energy.

In summary, the observation of discrete emission and absorption lines in atomic spectra, the photoelectric effect, and the Bohr model of the atom all provide experimental evidence for the quantization of energy in atoms. This evidence supports the idea that the emission of energy by an atom is quantized.